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Healing Reflections

April 26-28 & May 10-12, 2024 
9:30AM-4:30PM

(6-day Program, 2 Weekends)

Rush Ranch*, Suisun City, CA

  • Equine-Assisted Learning

  • Collaborative Art

  • Poetic Medicine  
    (Creative Writing)

  • Painting

  • Photography

  • Peer-Support

  • Outdoors Activities

  • Community Events

 

*Our program is hosted at Rush Ranch thanks to the generosity of our community partner The Solano Land Trust.

Crescent Moon Center, A Place for Healing through Horses and Art, is located at Rush Ranch in Suisun City, CA on a 2070-acre historic nature preserve. 

 

Through scientifically proven experiential art and equine-assisted learning workshops, followed by ongoing community engagement and support, Crescent Moon Center's program offers an empowering path toward healing, resilience, and growth.​

 

Experience learning in partnership with horses and expressive arts workshops designed to generate new insights and purpose through: 

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Join us on a journey of self-discovery
that nurtures creative expression & community.

You Will Receive

6-Day
Workshop Series 

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Develop new skills for wellness, resilience, and growth through equine-assisted learning and expressive arts workshops designed to generate new insights and purpose.

Community Activities

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Stay connected with community through nature walks and group activities at Rush Ranch. Art exhibits will provide a platform for participants and the recovery community to share their journey

Peer Support

 

Ongoing peer-support groups and mentorships helps you to maintain wellness through active engagement with your recovery process and community support systems.

Volunteer, Training

& Internships

 

Professional development and training opportunities empower you to unlock your potential and purpose. 

*Please note that lodging is not included. We can assist you and provide information.

 

Healthy snacks and beverages will be provided. There's a kitchen with a refrigerator and microwave if you want to bring your own lunch. You can also opt-in to have lunch delivered (at your own expense.)

Sliding Scale
Donations

At least 50% of participants in our program receive scholarships. We welcome sliding scale donations to enable participation and ensure no one is turned away for lack of funds.

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Please consider contributing at the highest rate you can afford. Your contribution covers Crescent Moon's program materials and staff, and supports fellow participants. Any amount contributed above the Base Level is a tax-deductible donation to Crescent Moon Center.​​​

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6-Day Workshop Series

Base Level: $950

Take the 1st step by letting us know you are interested.

We will answer any questions you have before applying.

Full & Partial

Scholarships

Scholarships are available.

No one is turned away

for lack of funds.

 

Let us support you!

Sponsor a Participant

 We rely on community

donations to cover Scholarships.

Sponsor a participant and enable them to attend our program. Donations are tax deductible.

Sliding Scale Donations / Apply
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"Taking part in Crescent Moon Center's Program was a touching, life-changing experience that deeply influenced me on my recovery journey.

 

Each of the unique workshops were thoughtfully put together, and the location at Rush Ranch 
was magnificent and magical. 

 

The land felt sacred, safe and serene

- a naturally healing place."

2021 Program Participant

Workshops

Our program is inspired by scientific research into the healing benefits of equine-assisted learning and creative expression to support mental health and recovery.

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Our innovative, experiential learning program includes equine-assisted learning, poetic medicine (creative writing), photography, abstract painting and collaborative mural-making workshops, as well as ongoing community activities and peer-support. 

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​After each workshop, time is set aside for reflection and integration of lessons learned so that new insights can be applied on your journey to wellness.

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We create a safe space for deep personal work and connection to each other. No prior experience with horses or art is required.

Connection

Introspection

Healing

Growth

Purpose

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Which of our workshops are you most interested in?

Click on the image below to learn more.

Workshops
Equine

Equine-Assisted Learning

Equine-assisted learning helps people with substance use disorders and mental health challenges.

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This workshop takes place in a round pen where you partner with horses to help identify and achieve personal goals, problem-solve, and build life skills. Through engagement with horses, you learn to be mindful and present, to better understand boundaries, and to practice compassion and kindness within relationships. Horses exemplify and encourage authenticity and confidence. All participants will witness this human-horse interaction, discuss and share their observations. 

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Our workshops are led by certified and experienced equine-assisted learning facilitators.

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Therapeutic Carriage Riding

In addition to providing the horses for our Equine-Assisted Learning workshops, our partner Access Adventure gives us the unique and inclusive opportunity for a horse drawn carriage ride into nature. The horse and carriage driver exemplify teamwork, effective communication, and partnership.

Art
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Art 4 Healing

 

This workshop is an artistic journey into deep thoughts and feelings through shapes and colors.

 

Use colors to respond to questions posed by a facilitator in this fast-paced, theme-based group creativity workshop. 

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Creative expression allows for personal insights and opens us to inspiration, hope, and our inner authenticity.

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Singing Tree Project

Our collaborative mural-making workshop is the first in the series because it brings people together around shared values and agreements for group interaction.  

 

Discuss and explore themes which include building healthy relationships and community, inspiring hope, honoring nature, celebrating art & creativity, and cultivating health, resilience, and well-being.  Then you will collaboratively conceptualize, design, and paint a mural.

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Splash

SPLASH is the last in the series because it allows participants to experience freedom and an emotional release from the deep processing of prior workshops.

 

You use of a variety of tools including large canvasses, oversized brushes, sponges, rags, and unconventional painting techniques, such as splattering and ragging horizontally (on the easel) and vertically (on the ground).

 

Meditation is integrated into the session to keep you in the moment and enable shifts in

your perspective.

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Plein Air Painting

Express your thoughts and feelings through shapes and colors. Paint the landscape that surrounds you. This workshop gives you the unique opportunity to absorb the serenity and beauty of Rush Ranch.

Photography

Receive thoughtful exercises to light up your imagination and look at life through metaphors.

Photography will be used as a tool for reflection and integration throughout  the program.

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Capture in photographs an insight, feeling or inspiration from the days’ workshops to encourage reflection and integration of your experiences. You are invited to share and discuss your photographs with the group and to exhibit your artwork in the closing of the workshop series. 

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Creative Writing

Poetic Medicine

Anyone can put pen to paper; what happens after that is a journey. Poetry is a dance of one’s spirit in words.  

 

Poetry and creative writing are compelling and effective tools in the journey toward wellness.  This workshop takes place with participants sitting in a circle. You are given a book of poems to read out loud which inspire discussion, and writing prompts. After each writing exercise, you read your poems to one another. This process allows you to rewrite internal dialogues and narratives, while also bringing about a feeling of being seen, deeply listened to, and connected to community.

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Community Activities
& Peer Support

Active engagement with recovery and community support systems helps to maintain wellness. After the 6-day workshop series, you can stay connected to community through monthly activities, 1:1 peer-mentorships, and peer-support groups. 


In the months between workshops, we offer free group activities and 1:1 opportunities:

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  • plein-air painting

  • equine-assisted-learning sessions​

  • a day at Rush Ranch with our partner Access Adventure for rides in horse-drawn carriages

  • nature walks with the Solano Land Trust at Rush Ranch and their other wildlife preserves

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Art Exhibits

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As an integral part of the program, participants will be invited to curate and exhibit their art, writings, and photography on Crescent Moon's website. 

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Community Events

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In the future, we will be hosting community events including art exhibits, live music, performances with horses, and speakers to educate and engage the public.

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Volunteer, Training & Internship Program


We offer professional development opportunities, internships and training, which can lead to opportunities for employment and authentic engagement with personal goals. 

 

Participants who are interested in a continued involvement with Crescent Moon will have the opportunity to train with Crescent Moon's staff in community building, program development, and the designing and co-facilitation of workshops. 

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WHO THIS PROGRAM IS FOR

Our program is for adults (18+) who are in recovery and at risk for alcohol and drug dependencies, particularly those facing challenges due to stress, trauma, and disability.

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Participants are looking for support for their mental health and wellness, and meaningful personal relationships and employment.

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All are welcome! No prior experience with horses or art is necessary.

Nurture Your Creativity 

& Connect With Community

Questions?

Community Activities
Peer Support
Training and Internships

What Participants Say

“This program got me in touch with a part of myself that I was longing to get in touch with. 
It gave me a safe place to be creative, to access my depth through creativity.” 
Facilitators

Meet Our Facilitators / Faculty

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Karen Kahn

Karen Kahn is the founder and President of Crescent Moon Center. She is an attorney, equestrian, artist, writer, and mother who lives in the Bay Area with her husband, dog, and horses.  She is a certified member of the Board of Equine Interaction Professionals and certified in Art4Healing.  She is a strong proponent of the belief that horses, and creative arts can have a transformative effect on one’s life.

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Michael Muir

Michael Muir is the great grandson of John Muir, the explorer.  He is a champion in dressage, driving and he continues to breed the Stone Wall horse at Rush Ranch.  Michael has suffered from MS since he was 15 years old, is a two-time cancer survivor and is mobility limited.  Despite these challenges, he drives forward and is an inspiration to everyone.

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Victoria Tugwell

Vickie is Crescent Moon’s Program Coordinator & Facilitator. On her journey to recovery through mental health challenges,  she found her  place in the world as a Mindfulness Instructor, Body Positive Facilitator and Yoga12SR Instructor.
With the gift of recovery, she has been able to fulfill her dream of becoming an Intuitive Healer, Certified Massage Therapist, and an Animal Osteopath. 

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Laurie Marshall

Laurie Marshall, M.A. is a cutting-edge educator and creative activist who uses collaborative art to envision healing of heartbreak. She is a book author including, “Beating the Odds Now”, “Singing Trees: A Growing Forest”, and founder of the non-profit, Unity Through Creativity Foundation. Her Singing Tree collaborative mural methodology has produced over 90 murals with 20,000 people from 52 countries.

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John Fox

John Fox is a Certified Poetry Therapist and Practitioner of Poetic Medicine and is a poet and author of numerous books including, “Finding What You Didn’t Lose: Expressing Your Truth and Creativity through Poem-Making.”  He is an adjunct faculty member of several colleges and teaches around the globe.

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Hilary Maslon

Hilary Maslon is an abstract painter with over 30 years of experience in painting and exhibiting.   She has a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Queens.  As an entrepreneur, ecologist, and lover of animals she brings a new perspective of art and healing.  She has taught art to diversified groups and venues in NYC, Mississippi and California. 

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Julie Bridge

As Founder of Mearas and a lifelong equestrian, Julie understands the power of the horse/human relationship, and the profound realizations people achieve through working with these majestic beings. She has had the honor of studying with the foremost thought leaders in Equine Facilitated Learning and Equine Guided Education and is an Advanced EponaQuest Instructor, Riding Instructor and Equine Guided Educator.

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CRESCENT MOON'S LOCATION

Crescent Moon's program is hosted at Rush Ranch thanks to the generous in-kind donation from the Solano Land Trust.

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Rush Ranch is a 2,070-acre nature preserve of marsh and rolling grassland located in the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, Suisun, CA. It is owned and managed by the Solano Land Trust. The working ranch includes a visitor center, turn-of-the-century blacksmith shop, historical ranching equipment, and hiking trails. 

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Solano Land Trust is a 501c3 nonprofit founded to protect land to ensure a healthy environment, keep ranching and farming families on their properties, and inspire a love of the land. Their work goes beyond conserving land; it’s also about ensuring that people’s relationship to the land remains strong. 

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We should take a moment to acknowledge the land on which we are gathered. For thousands of years, this land has been the home of Patwin people. Today, there are three federally recognized Patwin tribes: Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. 

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The Patwin people have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. It has been cherished and protected, as elders have instructed the young through generations. We are honored and grateful to be here today on their traditional lands.  

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Rush Ranch
& Access Adventure

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​Thanks to our partner Access Adventure, whose wonderful horses we work with in our Equine-Assisted Learning workshops, we are able to provide the inclusive and unique opportunity for a horse drawn carriage ride into the magnificent beauty and serenity of Rush Ranch.

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Rush Ranch hosts Access Adventure, a 501c3 nonprofit founded by Michael Muir, whose mission is to enrich the lives of people with disabilities and other underserved members of our community by providing outdoor recreation, open space access, education and therapy, through a working partnership with horses.

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A Place for Healing through Horses & Art

Apply today or join our email list to receive updates and stay tuned for more information about our program.

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